Land & environment

LHI Board. 17 April was International Bat Appreciation Day and this is an opportunity to reflect on the microbats that share the Island. Microbats are the only native land mammals on Lord Howe Island. Two species have been confirmed in recent decades...

In early-April 2024, the Sable Shearwater (formerly known as the Flesh-footed Shearwater) was added to Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS; also known as the Bonn Convention).

Koala monitoring on a tree planting site beside the Moorabool River, Victoria has shown an unexpected growth in koala observations in just one year. More than 11,300 koala trees and shrubs were planted on the site by Koala Clancy Foundation and the International Fund for Animal Welfare in the winter of 2023 and 2024 ... audio recorders were set up to monitor the koala population ... See the super video of the koalas nearby.

The Albanese Government is supercharging the transition to faster, more streamlined project assessments and approvals under our historic environmental law reforms. The Government will provide more than $45 million over 4 years to progress bilateral agreements with states and territories that will reduce duplication.

A ground-breaking artificial intelligence (AI) system has detected almost 90 unplanned fires since it was rolled out across more than a million hectares in South Australia, helping firefighters coordinate earlier bushfire responses.

The state’s peak farming organisation has called on the NSW Government to answer urgent questions about how it will protect groundwater, farm biosecurity, and landholders as it promotes new gas exploration. NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said farmers recognised the need for reliable energy but warned hasty exploration without strong safeguards could create unmanageable risks for rural and remote communities.

The Cook Labor Government has today launched its Seven Cities vision for regional Western Australia - a long-term plan to unlock the next wave of regional economic development and deliver quality infrastructure and services throughout the State.

129 new publicly accessible Shark Bite Trauma Kits will be installed at each of the state’s surf clubs as part of Surf Life Saving NSW’s continued focus on increased community safety. The trauma kits will be affixed to the external wall of each NSW surf club where, in the event of a reported shark incident...

A great ANZAC show today! We caught up with Tracy Jones from the Dowerin Footy Club for a full debrief after Buddy Franklin pulled on the boots for the Tigers! Plus your rural news (fuel and fertiliser update) with Fiona L Fox from ARR.News...

In response to months of improved beach conditions and latest monitoring trends, the State Government is now in a position to adjust some of its Algal Bloom Summer Plan response measures. Water testing results show the vast majority of South Australia’s coastline continues to record zero or low levels of the Karenia algae species, building on the encouraging monitoring data over the past three months.

A striking patch of native Garland lilies has been found flowering on a Travelling Stock Reserve north of Deniliquin, discovered by a NSW Government Murray LLS staff member during routine work in the area. The lilies, known scientifically as Calostemma purpureum and also referred to as Wilcannia lilies, are a native species...

Work has begun at the Fingerboards Project Mining and Rehabilitation Demonstration Pit, following local contractors successfully completing site mobilisation and pre-start inspections. Six additional East Gippsland businesses have now been engaged to support activities at the MRDP, with more than 20 local contractors sharing in procurement contracts now valued at more than $1.4m.

At the recent East Gippsland Field Days the many hundreds of people spoken to and attending the Mine Free Glenaladale stand expressed their frustration that the Government had given the former Kalbar Resources, now rebranded as Gippsland Critical Minerals, the opportunity to rescope the failed Kalbar project ... Mine Free Glenaladale also questions the authenticity of GCM claims relating to the test pit.

The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) met in Sydney ... to finalise a response to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review, issuing a sneak peek. "The balance has been struck when it comes to sharing water, with three-decades of reforms shrinking the share for farmers by one-third," said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien.

An inaugural report from Australia's most comprehensive and detailed fire mapping database has found 2025 to be the second largest fire year in the past decade, driven by severe weather and storm-related ignitions. The North Australia and Rangelands Fire Information (NAFI) service, based out of Charles Darwin University (CDU) recently released its first – and from now annual – Fire Year Summary Report for 2025, detailing fire activity across Australia. 

Patricia Gill. Ryan Clarke made the find of a lifetime, a 328g lump of mostly black substance, ambergris, or ‘floating gold', last week on Ocean Beach. Ryan was walking his dogs on the beach and casting a lure to catch some salmon at low tide when he spotted the lump washed up in the shallows at the sand bar.

Narrandera’s koala population is contributing to a major scientific study, with researchers from the Koala Sentinel Program back in the Riverina for its final round of fieldwork ... Researchers are investigating factors such as health, disease, genetics, nutrition, habitat, and ecology across six very different landscapes...

A soil aeration trial on a Caldwell farm has delivered strong gains in feed production, helping carry more cattle through dry periods. Working across his 1100-acre farm east of Barham, Don Hearn has spent several years trialling soil aeration, a process designed to relieve compaction and improve pasture growth.

Hugh Schuitemaker. The announcement of a "worst-case" water allocation scenario for SA River Murray irrigators – the first in five years – is set to compound the region's economic struggles, according to a senior irrigation figure, and a Riverland politician. The DEW last week announced South Australian River Murray irrigators were projected to receive minimum opening water allocations of 62 per cent for the 2026-27 water year.

Clean water will return to Narrandera under a new commitment made by The Nationals’ candidate for Farrer, Brad Robertson, and Liberal candidate, Raissa Butkowski. We will invest $16 million towards the construction of a new water treatment plant to provide a permanent solution to unacceptable water quality outcomes.

Getting ready for ANZAC Day with Pete Ramsey New Zealand Veterans Association drops in for a chat. Plus your country news with Fiona L Fox, farming weather, epic lawn bowls sledges with Doug Kelly and James Blundell plays It's Almost ANZAC Day ...

Bruny Island, off the coast of southern Tasmania, continues to attract birdwatchers from around the world. Its diverse habitats and rich birdlife offer unique year-round experiences, but winter reveals a quieter, more immersive side.